Is it all about the money?
Not everyone we work with, whether they’re facing redundancy, reassessing their values, or imagining a new path, places income at the centre of their decision-making. But many do. Some simply can’t imagine earning less, and I often wonder: at what cost?
It seems the more we pack into our lives, the more we feel we must earn.
But what if slowing down were possible – even desirable?
What if you earned two-thirds of your current income?
Could you do it? Would you want to?
Compromising well-being for managing workload is one of today’s biggest challenges. Career coaches spend much of their time helping people sort this out. They help weigh up:
Do I choose what I want and know I’d enjoy, or what pays well?
We all recognise the changing needs in life. The need to support a family, buy a home, provide for children and save for retirement. But most people, at times of change and stress, question themselves whether they could be happier doing work that feels more meaningful or makes a difference, or just push through.
When work feels meaningless, it slowly turns into a grind, and over time, that grind can take a real toll on our health and well-being. When our values don’t align with what we do each day, tension builds. We hold it inside, and eventually it shows up in the body as stress and strain
This is why understanding your why matters so much — yet it’s a question rarely asked in career decision-making, especially for young people. Our system often centres on future earnings, making financial security the main driver. But in reality, enjoying your work and feeling connected to it is what most often leads to genuine success.
The belief that living well requires earning more is a social construct that can trap us in an unsustainable pace of life. For many, a turning point comes in midlife, when the question becomes: What now? What would bring meaning?
Compromise is part of every career journey, but the real questions are: for how long, and at what cost?
If a doorway to more meaningful work opens, it’s often worth exploring.
Ideally, our careers should allow us to make a difference and still have time to rest, connect, learn. A good guide is to nurture the four pillars of Te Whare Tapa Whā: the physical, spiritual, emotional, and social. When one pillar is neglected, the whole house becomes unsteady. That house is you, or your family.
Kaye Avery
Phone: 0064 21474765